Radiation dose to the surgeon during plaque brachytherapy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the radiation dose to a surgeon's hands during I eye plaque procedures. METHODS: Sixteen consecutive patients with uveal melanomas were scheduled for eye plaque brachytherapy. The same surgeon wore thermoluminescent dosimeters on the dominant index finger and thumb while placing and removing the eye plaque to measure radiation dose. Additional laboratory experiments were performed to measure unobstructed (by surgical gloves or other parts of the hand) radiation exposure from a plaque. RESULTS: Hand radiation doses during eye plaque brachytherapy are very low, but measurable, with plaques containing an average of 1.3 GBq of I. CONCLUSION: Using these data, a surgeon would need to perform more than 1,000 cases each year to approach or exceed the annual regulatory radiation dose limits for the extremities.